Already a UF Pharmacy Professional Mentor?
Who are pharmacy professional mentors?
Pharmacy professional mentors are pharmacists who have volunteered time and leadership to help guide University of Findlay pharmacy s tudents through the academic, experiential and didactic portions of the program. They are advisory board members, preceptors, alumni, and other pharmacists (active and retired) who have a vested interest in shaping the future of the profession.
"The pharmacy mentors have many years of knowledge and experience to help guide us in our professional careers. It is similar to how the University gave us an upperclassman mentor to help us acclimate from high school to college. This time it is helping us to make the shift from regular pharmacy school to our professional years."
--Zachary Clouse, UF pharmacy student
"The profession of pharmacy has been the foundation of my 40-year career in healthcare. Being a professional mentor to pharmacy students gives me the opportunity to give back to my profession, to share my knowledge and the renew my enthusiasm for this noble role dedicated to serving patients and the community." --Karen Beard, Vice President of Business Development of Excelerate, a joint venture business of the Cleveland Clinic and Vizient
What does it mean to be a pharmacy professional mentor?
Mentors serve as a positive influence to students and do so in a role that is outside of the traditional academic setting. A quick e-mail or phone call, meeting up for coffee or a shadowing event, practicing interviewing skills or just offering a little life perspective to an up and coming professional student are simple ways that mentors have an impact on the students’ lives and careers.
The students reach out to the mentors at least twice per year to review some reflective questions based on their progression through the pharmacy program, but the program is so much more than that. It’s a chance to offer guidance, to connect and to network for both the mentor and the student. Mentors are invited to various events on and off campus to interact with their mentees and learn more about the program itself and to participate in landmark occasions for students, such as the annual White Coat Ceremony held each fall or the Pharmacy Graduation Luncheon every spring.
"Before mentors became mentors, they were students. The great joy of giving back is like an aphrodisiac that sustains and nourishes the body and soul. Today's students will transform our world as they move forward toward the eradication of the disease. Mentors look forward to sharing in this transformation process."
--Bill Ruse, President Emeritus of the Blanchard Valley Health Association headquartered in Findlay, Ohio
"Not many students have enough exposure or time to go out and find professional mentors. I felt really grateful that the college found a link for me and I appreciated it, even more, when my mentor showed up at the white coat ceremony. It was an encouraging and inspiring moment, which is exactly what mentors are for."
--Shiader Thao, UF pharmacy student
How can you become a pharmacy professional mentor?
Do you have an interest in helping to shape and mold the future of the profession? Do you want to offer some perspective to someone who is excited about future possibilities? Do you want to share your passion for patient care and pharmacy? If so, then please consider becoming a professional mentor.
Contact Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice & Assistant Director of Experiential Education, Tim Burkart, Pharm.D., at [email protected].